Pneumatic atomizer having improved flow paths for accomplishing the atomization of liquids

Abstract

An atomizer device capable of reducing a flowable liquid to an ultrafine dispersion of liquid particles in a propellant gas, comprising a generally smooth surface having a central portion and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion. At least one orifice is located in the surface, in at least a partially surrounding relationship to the central portion. A propellant gas is supplied to the underside of the surface, with such propellant gas being caused to pass at considerable speed through the orifice or orifices, thus forming at least one gas jet. The propellant gas flowing through the orifice or orifices create an area of low pressure at the central portion of the surface, and create at least one passway extending radially inwardly from the peripheral portion to the central portion, which passway, quite importantly, avoids direct contact with said gas jet. Liquid to be atomized is supplied at the location of the passway, which liquid is then swept through the passway toward the area of low pressure by ambient gas flowing through the passway to the area of low pressure. From this location within the overall envelope of the propellant gas flowing out of the orifice or orifices, the liquid is entrained into the propellant gas, such entrained liquid breaking into very fine droplets in the propellant gas.

We claim: 
     
       1. An atomizer device capable of reducing a flowable liquid to an ultrafine dispersion of liquid particles in a propellant gas, comprising: a generally smooth exposed surface having a central portion as well as an outer, peripheral portion surrounding said central portion,   at least one orifice means disposed in said surface in a partially surrounding relationship to said central portion,   at least one gap in said at least one orifice means, forming at least one passway on and above said surface, said at least one passway extending radially inward from said outer portion to said central portion,   means supplying a propellant gas to the underside of said surface, to cause such propellant gas to pass at considerable speed through said at least one orifice means, thus forming at least one gas jet, the propellant gas flowing through said at least one orifice means creating an area of low pressure at said central portion of said surface which draws a flow of ambient gas through said at least one passway,   means supplying a liquid to said outer portion of said exposed surface at a location radially in line with said at least one passway and near the outer end thereof, such liquid being swept across said surface and through said at least one passway toward said area of low pressure as a consequence of the ambient gas flowing through said at least one passway toward said area of low pressure, the liquid reaching said central portion being entrained into said at least one gas jet, such entrained liquid breaking into very fine droplets int he propellant gas.   
     
     
       2. The atomizer device as defined in claim 1 in which said orifice means is represented by an orifice of generally C-shaped configuration, with said at least one passway being located between the arms of said C-shaped configuration. 
     
     
       3. The atomizer device as defined in claim 1 in which said orifice means is represented by a closely spaced pair of slots disposed in an essentially parallel relationship. 
     
     
       4. The atomizer device as defined in claim 1 in which said orifice means is represented by at least three orifices disposed in the configuration of a regular polygon. 
     
     
       5. The atomizer device as defined in claim 1 in which said generally smooth exposed surface is substantially flat. 
     
     
       6. The atomizer device as defined in claim 1 in which said generally smooth exposed surface has a concave central portion. 
     
     
       7. The atomizer device as defined in claim 1 in which said means for supplying liquid supplies such liquid at the outer end of each passway by means of a depression disposed in said generally smooth exposed surface. 
     
     
       8. The atomizer device as defined in claim 1 in which said generally exposed smooth surface is held in the operative position by a cap having an open central portion and a peripheral portion extending above and in contract with the peripheral portion of said generally smooth surface, at least one depression disposed in said peripheral portion of said cap adjacent said smooth surface, through which depression liquid is supplied in radial alignment with said at least one. 
     
     
       9. An atomizer device capable of reducing a flowable liquid to an ultrafine dispersion of liquid particles in a propellant gas, comprising: a generally smooth surface having a central portion as well as a peripheral portion surrounding said central portion, orifice means disposed in said surface, in at least a partially surrounding relationship to said central portion,   means supplying a propellant gas to the underside of said surface, to cause such propellant gas to pass at considerable speed through said orifice means, thus forming at least one gas jet, the propellant gas flowing through said orifice means creating an area of low pressure at said central portion of said surface,   the flow of gas from said orifice means creating at least one passway extending radially inwardly from said peripheral portion to said central portion, which at least one passway avoids direct contact with said at least one gas jet,   means supplying a liquid at the location of said at least one passway, which liquid is then swept through said at least one passway toward said area of low pressure by ambient gas flowing through said at least one passway to said area of low pressure, wherefrom the liquid is entrained into the propellant gas flowing out of said orifice means, such entrained liquid breaking into very fine droplets in the propellant gas,   said orifice means being represented by an orifice of generally C-shaped configuration, with said at least one passway being located between the arms of said C-shaped configuration.   
     
     
       10. An atomizer device capable of reducing a flowable liquid to an ultrafine dispersion of liquid particles in a propellant gas, comprising: a generally smooth surface having a central portion as well as a peripheral portion surrounding said central portion, orifice means disposed in said surface, in at least a partially surrounding relationship to said central portion,   means supplying a propellant gas to the underside of said surface, to cause such propellant gas to pass at considerable speed through said orifice means, thus forming at least one gas jet, the propellant gas flowing through said orifice means creating an area of low pressure at said central portion of said surface,   the flow of gas from said orifice means creating at least one passway extending radially inwardly from said peripheral portion to said central portion, which at least one passway avoids direct contact with said at least one gas jet,   means supplying a liquid at the location of said at least one passway, which liquid is then swept through said at least one passway toward said area of low pressure by ambient gas flowing through said at least one passway to said area of low pressure, wherefrom the liquid is entrained into the propellant gas flowing out of said orifice means, such entrained liquid breaking into very fine droplets in the propellant gas,   said orifice means being represented by a closely spaced pair of slots disposed in an essentially parallel relationship.   
     
     
       11. An atomizer device capable of reducing a flowable liquid to an ultrafine dispersion of liquid particles in a propellant gas, comprising: a generally smooth surface having a central portion as well as a peripheral portion surrounding said central portion, orifice means disposed in said surface, in at least a partially surrounding relationship to said central portion,   means supplying a propellant gas to the underside of said surface, to cause such propellant gas to pass at considerable speed through said orifice means, thus forming at least one gas jet, the propellant gas flowing through said orifice means creating an area of low pressure at said central portion of said surface,   the flow of gas from said orifice means creating at least one passway extending radially inwardly from said peripheral portion to said central portion, which at least one passway avoids direct contact with said at least one gas jet,   means supplying a liquid at the location of said at least one passway, which liquid is then swept through said at least one passway toward said area of low pressure by ambient gas flowing through said at least one passway to said area of low pressure, wherefrom the liquid is entrained into the propellant gas flowing out of said orifice means, such entrained liquid breaking into very fine droplets in the propellant gas,   said means for supplying a liquid being disposed at the peripheral portion of said surface, at a location radially in line with said at least one passway,   said generally smooth surface being held in the operative position by a cap having an open central portion and a peripheral portion extending above and in contact with the peripheral portion of said generally smooth surface, at least one depression disposed in said peripheral portion of said cap adjacent said smooth surface, through which depression liquid is supplied in radial alignment with said at least one passway.   
     
     
       12. An atomizer device capable of reducing a flowable liquid to an ultrafine dispersion of liquid particles in a propellant gas, comprising: a generally smooth surface having a central portion as well as a peripheral portion surrounding said central portion, orifice means disposed in said surface, in a surrounding relationship to said central portion,   means for supplying a propellant gas to the underside of said surface, to cause such propellant gas to pass at considerable speed through said orifice means, thus forming at least one gas jet, the propellant gas flowing through said orifice means creating an area of low pressure at said central portion of said surface,   the flow of gas from said orifice means creating at least one passway extending radially inwardly from said peripheral portion to said central portion, through which at least one passway ambient air is educted to said area of low pressure, avoiding direct contact with said at least one gas jet,   means supplying at said peripheral portion of said surface radially in line with said at least one passway, a liquid to be atomized, which liquid is swept by such educted air through said at least one passway toward said area of low pressure, wherefrom the liquid is entrained into the propellant gas flowing out of said orifice means, such entrained liquid breaking into very fine droplets in the propellant gas,   said orifice means being represented by an orifice of generally C-shaped configuration, with said at least one passway being located between the arms of said C-shaped configuration.   
     
     
       13. An atomizer device capable of reducing a flowable liquid to an ultrafine dispersion of liquid particles in a propellant gas, comprising: a generally smooth surface having a central portion as well as a peripheral portion surrounding said central portion, orifice means disposed in said surface, in a surrounding relationship to said central portion,   means for supplying a propellant gas to the underside of said surface, to cause such propellant gas to pass at considerable speed through said orifice means, thus forming at least one gas jet, the propellant gas flowing through said orifice means creating an area of low pressure at said central portion of said surface,   the flow of gas from said orifice means creating at least one passway extending radially inwardly from said peripheral portion to said central portion, through which at least one passway ambient air is educted to said area of low pressure, avoiding direct contact with said at least one gas jet,   means supplying at said peripheral portion of said surface radially in line with said at least one passway, a liquid to be atomized, which liquid is swept by such educted air through said at least one passway toward said area of low pressure, wherefrom the liquid is entrained into the propellant gas flowing out of said orifice means, such entrained liquid breaking into very fine droplets in the propellant gas,   said orifice means being represented by a closely spaced pair of slots disposed in an essentially parallel relationship.   
     
     
       14. An atomizer device capable of reducing a flowable liquid to an ultrafine dispersion of liquid particles in a propellant gas, comprising: a generally smooth surface having a central portion as well as a peripheral portion surrounding said central portion, orifice means disposed in said surface, in a surrounding relationship to said central portion,   means for supplying a propellant gas to the underside of said surface, to cause such propellant gas to pass at considerable speed through said orifice means, thus forming at least one gas jet, the propellant gas flowing through said orifice means creating an area of low pressure at said central portion of said surface,   the flow of gas from said orifice means creating at least one passway extending radially inwardly from said peripheral portion to said central portion, through which at least one passway ambient air is educted to said area of low pressure, avoiding direct contact with said at least one gas jet,   means supplying at said peripheral portion of said surface radially in line with said at least one passway, a liquid to be atomized, which liquid is swept by such educted air through said at least one passway toward said area of low pressure, wherefrom the liquid is entrained into the propellant gas flowing out of said orifice means, such entrained liquid breaking into very fine droplets in the propellant gas,   said generally smooth surface being held in the operative position by a cap having an open central portion and a peripheral portion extending above and in contact with the peripheral portion of said generally smooth surface, at least one depression disposed in said peripheral portion of said cap adjacent said smooth surface, through which depression liquid is supplied in radial alignment with said at least one passway.